The Seahawks are one of the better teams in the NFL this year – they just so happen to share a division with a serious heavyweight. Tonight we got another reminder that the 49ers are still pretty far ahead of Seattle in this NFC West arms race. Playing in front of a holiday primetime crowd, the usually sharp-in-primetime Seahawks got manhandled in three of four quarters, losing at home to the Niners, 31-13.
While the overall message is a downer about where they are in relation to their greatest rivals, there still were some positive performances. Here are our studs and duds.
Dud: QB Geno Smith
To be fair, most quarterbacks will struggle against the defense that the 49ers played tonight. That said, Geno Smith had a rough outing. He went 18/27 for 180 yards, no touchdowns, one interception and a 70.0 passer rating. Smith also took six sacks, missed on all but one deep throw and was lucky to avoid throwing a couple more picks.
Stud: LB Jordyn Brooks
Most of the heroics came on the other side of the ball, where the Seahawks were hopelessly outmatched but got a few admirable efforts. The best of them came from inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks. He led the team with 12 total tackles (7 solo) and threw in a pick-six, as well.
Dud: WR DK Metcalf
DK Metcalf dominated these 49ers when they last met in the playoffs, posting 10 catches, 136 yards and two touchdowns. This time around it was a different story, as Charvarius Ward did a superb job against him in coverage. Metcalf only caught three of nine targets for 32 yards.
Stud: DE Leonard Williams
Seattle didn’t make much of an impact in the trenches on either side. However, Leonard Williams was one of the rare exceptions to the rule. He balled out yet again for the Seahawks, totaling four tackles (one for a loss) and two quarterback hits.
Dud: Seattle pass rush
Outside of Williams the Seahawks got very little pressure on Brock Purdy, enabling him to sit back and slice up their zone by delivering the ball to San Francisco’s playmakers. Purdy was only sacked once all night.
Studs: Devon Witherspoon, Jamal Adams
Seattle’s smash brothers on the back end also had a strong game. Rookie corner Devon Witherspoon had five tackles (one for a loss) and the best PBU that you’ll see all season. Meanwhile, strong safety Jamal Adams made a couple of timely stops, including two tackles for a loss.
Dud: The run defense
However, the overall effort defensively just wasn’t enough – especially when it came to tackling Christian McCaffrey. The Seahawks had a tough time against the run no matter who had the ball, but CMC toasted them for 114 yards and two touchdowns on just 19 carries (6.0 YPC).
Stud: WR/KR Dee Eskridge
It’s been a long time coming but the Seahawks also finally saw some flashes from third-year wide receiver Dee Eskridge. He started their first possession with a bang, returning the 49ers’ opening kickoff for 66 yards. Eskridge also posted a 10-yard run later in the game.
Dud: The running backs
With starter Ken Walker out due to an oblique strain, the Seahawks backfield suffered. Zach Charbonnet only managed to produce 47 rushing yards on 14 carries, his longest going for 10 yards. Meanwhile, DeeJay Dallas fumbled again on a punt return. We did not get to see any of rookie Kenny McIntosh, who was expected to make this debut.
